AN ENJOYABLE DAY'S SPORT IN THE CITY AND GUILDS CHRISTMAS TRIAL

AN ENJOYABLE DAY’S SPORT IN THE CITY AND GUILDS CHRISTMAS TRIAL BEST PERFORMANCE BY G. MONTANARO DRIVING M.G. MAGNA

WINTER IN THE CHILTERNS

FAVOURED by a brilliant, frosty winter’s day in the middle of a spell of bad weather, the Christmas Trial of the City and Guilds Motor Club on December 18th, provided good sport in the Chilterns for a score of enthusiastic competitors. Most of the entrants were provided by two of the invited clubs, the Berkhamstk.,d and D.M.C., and the Cambridge University A.C., for the .Guilds men were mostly engaged as officials and marshals.

Best performance was made by G. Montanaro, of the Cambridge U.A.C., driving an M.G. Magna. Special awards were offered for best performance by a member of a club sending six or more entries, and H. W. Tuderwick with his Batten Special won the Berkhamsted tankard, while, after Montanaro, K. N. Smith with his Frazer-Nash-B.M.W. was best of the Cambridge entries.

It had been intended to run the event on the double-circuit plan, but since the numbers both of marshals and competitors were smaller than anticipated, the route was used in a straightforward manner, and all competitors were scheduled to take one circuit in the morning, and another in the afternoon, returning to the Mill Stream, Amersham, for lunch and finish.

One competitor, however, somehow missed receiving the alteration to the printed instructions, and set off on the afternoon circuit in the morning. This was H. W. Inderwick, who, as he proceeded, found it strange that no other competitors appeared. He was confirmed in his course, however, by the fact that on one of the early hills the marshals were actually there, having fallen into the same error ! When Inderwiek got back to the lunch stop, With the impression that it was a very strange trial, a pretty problem was presented for the stewards. Eventually it was decided to send a special observer with Inderwick in the Batten Special round the other circuit, already transversed by the rest of the field, but that the errant competitor should first take the timed section which he had missed. Inderwick’s lone efiort was very sneeess

In!, for he was ono of the only three competitors to retain a clean sheet. The course, with competition tyres and lrieked axles barred, had been rendered comparatively easy by the hard frost, but a difficult restart at White End Park took its toll. Only Montanaro and

J. P. Boileau, both with got away in the morning (followed later by hiderwick), and retained full marks. It was possible to gain a Certain ber of marks by getting up the hills by “other means,” such as bouncing, or taking a rush at the starting line, and A. D. Phillips, his girl passengers bouncing vigorously up and down, earned much credit by getting his old Bentley up White End Park in this manner. Miss

K. Taylor with her Lancia, and G. D. Claridge with his Frazer-Nash, also retained some marks here. I,. C. Snowden, after several attempts with:his Ford 178, solved the problem by a remarkable climb with the engine ust

ticking over. If others had -adopted these tactics, there would have been more successes. Rutty Lane, which last year caused a lot of difficulty, was so hard that no one scored a complete failure, and the rough surface of Pudds Cross only stopped one car, a few losing marks through bouncing. Even D. Baddeley’S very old twineylinder B.S.A. scored a success. Baddeley’s was an heroic effort, and he was loudly cheered on arriving at the lunch stop, his ancient vehicle clattering on a rim 1 Montanaro achieved his premier position by recording 12.8 secs. in the

acceleration test. Inderwick took 13.5 secs., and Smith with the B.M.W. 13.8 secs. In the brake test Smith was best with 11.1 sees., and G. F. Foxlee with his Alvis did well to record 11.5 sees.

RESULTS

Best Performance (lap: G. Montanaro (M.G.). Berkhamsted Tankard :EL. W. Inderwick (BattenSpecial).

Cambridge Tankard : K. N. Smith (Frazer-Nat4i13.N.W.).

City and Guilds Tankard : J. P. follow (M.G., S.). Second Class Award :0. 1). Claridge (Frazer-Nash). Third Class Awards :0. F. PoxIce (Alvis), P. G. H. Minter (!1.0., 5.), 11. Merriman (M.0.).